The Dish Power Rankings: The Valentine’s madness edition

Toronto Life’s weekly assessment of the restaurants with the biggest buzz, the longest lineups and the toughest tables to snag.

Edulis’s charming (and tiny) dining room propels the restaurant to the top this week on the strength of its Valentine’s bookings. Lower down, a couple new sold-out tasting menus debut, as does College Street’s next hot brunch destination.

Edulis (↑3)
Don’t even try reserving a table at Edulis for Valentine’s Day: all of next week has been booked solid since December 17.

Kingyo (↑4)
Lineups on the weekend at this Cabbagetown izakaya are approaching Guu levels circa-2010. The Pork Tan Tan ramen rivals the many specialty shops for Toronto’s best noodle bowl.

Shōtō (↓1)
A seat at David Chang’s tasting menu flagship is still impossible to snag on a weekend.

Rose and Sons (↓1)
Brunch lineups at Anthony Rose’s Dupont Street diner have gotten so long, the restaurant’s website helpfully indicates that the LCBO is just down the street for those looking to while away the time.

Hoof Raw Bar (↓4)
In other brunch news: the second coming of the Hoof Café’s famous brunch menu continues to draw lineups, albeit not quite like in the old days.

Porzia (↑2)Basilio Pesce’s new southern Italian restaurant in Parkdale is selling chicken liver agnolotti and tiny cookies by the boatload. It’s also the last place that can open on the strip until the ban gets lifted.

Daishō (no change)Daishō continues to pull in a healthy crowd. Tip: don’t skip dessert. The unassumingly named “Citrus,” which has about a dozen components (like katsui pear and dots of olive), is a show-stopper.

Playa Cabana Cantina (↑1)
Good news: this new contender for Toronto’s top taco takes reservations. Bad news: unless you want to eat at 5:30, all the good spots goreally fast.

Patria (↓1)Charles Khabouth’s clubby Spanish restaurant is also freakishly authentic (witness the the jamón ibérico de bellota sliced to order on the countertop). It continues to draw a crowd with money to burn on the pricy wine list.

Bar Volo (new this week)
On Saturday, the newly renovated bar invited Amsterdam Brewery to fill all 26 taps and six casks with special one-off beers. The sold-out event was so packed the crowd spilled out onto the patio in minus-12-degree weather (mercifully, there were heaters).

Dyne (↓3)
At his new Av-and-Dav restaurant, Richard Andino is turning out creative riffs on Mediterranean standards. The neighbourhood is still skeptical, however—the restaurant was mostly empty last Saturday.

Dropped from the list this week: Splendido, Skin and Bones, Jacobs and Co., Enoteca Sociale, Yours Truly and Hawthorne.

They are all one worse than the other. I went through a few and I’m
tired. More fluff than food. I like value for my money. Every time I
look at these snob-nosed lists, eating at the food court, occasionally,
is validated. More value for your money… and, of course, don’t forget
well-price good-quality freshly-made buffets. Enjoy.

Who cares about big name restaurants and how hard it is go get a reservation? These places have more ego than we need in the city. Bring back something that helps people find food events like the weekly eater.